The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 225: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

t68 THE STEAM PACKET. the companions of his travels—the most influential of the Luminaries next to himself,—and they, too, in chains, dressing-gowns, blouses, and cotton nightcaps. Before, however, any elucidation of these va- rious mysteries was. vouchsafed to him, the Commissary of Police pro- ceeded to examine him (through the interpreter); and finding that his statement completely tallied with that of Mr. Thomas Gibbins, the prisoners were forthwith released. Tom Gibbins was then des- patched to the hotel for suitable garments for the two gentlemen, from their own trunks; and the Commissary kindly allowed them the use of his own private room, adjoining the office, to oe their toilet. We shall not stay to mention all the gentle remonstrances of Mr. . ‘Pifpaf, relative to quarrels amongst friends, the wickedness of duelling, and the dreadful crime of jeopardising that life which the Almighty has given (the worthy gentleman had himself murdered some thou- sands of hogs in his time) ;—we shall not tarry to describe the affect- ing meeting which took place between Miss Aramintha and the cap- tain, or the tender glances which were exchanged between Belinda and the tailor ;—nor shall we attempt to narrate the highly embel- lished and considerably improved account of their adventures which the two truants gave that evening after dinner, for the behoof of the assembled Luminaries. Suffice it to say that all matters seemed once more to have been placed upon a very comfortable footing; and that both the captain and tailor now laughed heartily in their sleeves at those foolish alarms which had plunged them into a series of such ludicrous adventures. Ne the rest of the comments upon those matters, and the sage ob- servations which they evoked, and the animated discussions they gave ‘rise to amongst the tribe of the Luminaries,—are they not written in. ‘the Book of their Archives by the pen of Rumtutch ? , Gomichooks: co